All along the way, Qin Yining urged the driver forward, already too anxious to care about anything else. Her hands gripped the window frame and seat cushion tightly, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, completely unable to calm down.

Hearing human voices—could it be Pang Xiao?

What if Li Qitian had harmed Pang Xiao underground?

What if Pang Xiao had already perished at the time, and they only found Li Qitian?

Bingtang sat beside her with a handkerchief, helping her wipe away sweat, while gripping her hand with some force: “Princess, please calm yourself. It must be that the Prince is about to be rescued. Don’t frighten yourself!”

Qin Yining’s ears were buzzing, and she couldn’t hear Bingtang’s comforting words at all.

In desperation, Bingtang grabbed Qin Yining’s hand and pressed firmly on an acupoint at the tiger’s mouth.

The pain made Qin Yining shiver, and her thoughts gradually returned to clarity.

“Bingtang?”

“Princess, the Prince will surely be safe and sound. You mustn’t lose your composure.”

Qin Yining came to her senses, her gaze gradually regaining clarity.

She knew Bingtang was right. When they reached the mountain, who knew what kind of situation they would encounter. She had to calm down to be able to command the overall situation. If someone wanted to strike a blow just as Pang Xiao was about to be rescued, she would need to remedy it in time.

Qin Yining took several deep breaths before calming herself down and nodding: “I’m fine now.”

Bingtang breathed a sigh of relief, tightly holding Qin Yining’s hand and continuously soothing her emotions.

Not only was Qin Yining nervous, even Bingtang and Ji Yun couldn’t help but be tense. Though the waiting days were difficult to endure, at least having no news meant they still had hope. Once something really happened to the Prince, these servants wouldn’t know where to go, let alone the Princess who shared such deep conjugal love with the Prince.

Bingtang, Ji Yun and the others truly admired Qin Yining from the bottom of their hearts. If it were them in this situation, they couldn’t be certain they could be as strong as Qin Yining.

The carriage reached Chong Mountain quickly and steadily. Qin Yining changed to a sedan chair and was carried by her guards to the incident site.

By now the sky had grown dim, the night pitch black with no stars or moon. From afar, they could see many of Ji Zeyu’s personal attendants and Elite Tiger Guards holding torches gathered in one place. The smoke from the torches gradually merged into the night, and only the air between breaths was filled with the mixed scent of burning torches and post-rain dampness.

Qin Yining got down from the sedan chair and, supported at the waist by her maids, walked over.

The closer she got, the clearer became the sounds from within the crowd’s encirclement. Obviously everyone was working hard at digging, constantly reminding each other. Ji Zeyu had even rolled up his sleeves and personally joined in, continuously calling out reminders to those inside: “Step back a little to avoid falling stones when the opening suddenly breaks through.”

Qin Yining pressed her lips together and stood in place. She knew she couldn’t help with anything and would only get in the way by going closer, so she just watched from a distance.

With the moment at hand and results about to be seen, Qin Yining’s heart finally returned to calm. She believed Pang Xiao would be safe and sound. No matter what happened, Qin Yining believed she could bear it and face it.

Ji Zeyu led his people in careful excavation by torchlight, digging while talking with those inside. Because the stones and earth in between were too thick, plus the noise from digging, those outside couldn’t hear clearly what those inside were saying, nor could they distinguish from the voice who was speaking.

Qin Yining pressed her lips together and stared intently at the excavation site with expectant eyes, unwilling to miss any detail.

Everyone worked hard digging for a full hour before the large and small stones were finally moved away. Fortunately, it had rained a few days ago, making the soil less soft than before. Otherwise, digging a pit while soil kept falling from the sides into the opening would quickly make everyone’s efforts come to nothing.

“Good, good, I can see it!”

“Quick, quick, give a hand, give a hand!”

Soon, Qin Yining vaguely saw a pair of hands also digging in the underground cave. Ji Zeyu and several soldiers grabbed those hands, and after everyone quickly cleared away the surrounding soil, the owner of those hands poked his head out.

It was Li Qitian!

Qin Yining’s hands clenched tightly, the disappointment in her eyes almost impossible to hide, though disappointment was quickly replaced by worry.

Li Qitian was rescued, but where was Pang Xiao?

Ji Zeyu grasped Li Qitian’s hands, and when the opening had expanded to a certain extent, he pulled hard to drag the person out.

As Li Qitian steadied himself to one side, the opening collapsed once more.

Ji Zeyu and the others looked at Li Qitian, covered in blood and mud all over, his whole body reeking of mold, decay and blood. They only felt cold for an instant before all bowing in unison.

“Long live His Majesty!”

Qin Yining came to her senses and also bowed with the support of Bingtang and Ji Yun.

Li Qitian stood dazedly by the cave opening, as if unable to believe he could still walk out of the underground palace alive. Looking up, there was a pitch-black night sky. The air he breathed was no longer the moldy atmosphere of the underground palace, and the rotten bloody smell on his body had been diluted considerably by the fresh air.

Turning to look at the situation before him, Li Qitian couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

Among all the people present, he only recognized Ji Zeyu and Qin Yining. The others helping with excavation seemed to include some of Pang Xiao’s attendants, and the rest should all be Ji Zeyu’s subordinates.

Why were there no court officials and other military generals bringing people to dig? Why were there no palace-assigned eunuchs to be seen?

Li Qitian wasn’t certain how long he had been buried underground, but he could be certain that things seemed to have begun developing in directions he didn’t wish for.

While everyone was bowing, Qin Yining had already stood up, walked to the cave opening, knelt down and began laboriously digging soil with both hands.

After the proprieties were observed, Li Qitian just stood there dumbly without saying a word, showing no intention of ordering people to continue digging. Could Pang Xiao not be inside?

“My lord? Are you inside?” Qin Yining pressed her face to the soil and called loudly into the opening.

She heard no response from inside.

But her voice brought Li Qitian back to his senses.

Li Qitian’s face showed a struggling expression. Seeing Qin Yining digging soil with two maids, then looking at Ji Zeyu and other soldiers before him who were watching with burning eyes, Li Qitian finally cleared his throat and said: “Don’t just focus on propriety. Prince Zhongshun is still inside.”

Qin Yining’s movements paused abruptly. She whirled around to look at Li Qitian, her expression wild with joy.

Ji Zeyu’s eyes lit up and he quickly acknowledged the order: “By your command!” He led his people forward to take over from the three women.

Qin Yining’s cheeks and dress were covered with dirt, her hands cut by stones in many places with blood mixed with soil, but she didn’t feel any pain at all. She just stared fixedly at the excavation site.

Li Qitian looked at Qin Yining with her big belly, keeping vigil at the scene in such a disheveled state—not knowing how long she had been keeping watch—and felt uncomfortable in his heart.

When something happened to him, the Empress didn’t come, the Empress Dowager didn’t come, and those ministers he valued highly didn’t come.

But Pang Xiao’s family member kept vigil at the scene with such a big belly, not caring even when she became so disheveled.